This invention relates to a stent or supporting frame for cardiac valves which incorporates a positive improvement in cardiac prosthesis matter. This device permits its use in all the anatomic positions of the heart: mitral, aortic, tricuspid and pulmonar. More over, the device formed by the stent and the valve may be used in extra-anatomic positions, i.e. valvulate ducts and total cardiac prosthesis.
Noteworthy is the easy manner by means of which this invention solves the submitted problem. The coupling system of the prosthesis may be used when the stent is in supra or infra annular positions in relation to the anatomic positions of the heart, in such a manner that it permits the total usefulness of the implantation diameter, which shall be completely occupied by the prosthesis.
Thus the final result in which is referred to the effective area is perfectly similar to that obtained with conventional prosthesis. Another important advantage provided by this device is its universal application, that is to say, that the device can be adapted to many kind of valves, such as for example, dura mater valves, disk valves, ball cage valves, porcine valves, pericardium valves or many other ones.
Consequently, this invention permits one to take advantage of all the improvements of the valve to be used with this device, and adding to those advantages the very important property of significantly reducing the operation period during which blood is circulated outside the body, both at the initial transplantation, as well as at later times, taking into consideration the eventual prosthetic dysfunctions.